ReTs skip schools to demand salary, threaten agitation

SRINAGAR: Hundreds of teaching guides known as Rehbar-e-Taleem held protests against delay in release of their salaries and streamlining their services.
Bashir Ahmed Dar, Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir ReT forum said 40,000 ReT teachers are working with the department of education under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Scheme.
“Teachers are working without salary from months. It has made our families suffer,” he said.
From December 2015, the funds for salaries of teachers are shared by the Centre and the state government on 90:10 pattern, against previous pattern of 65:35, are pending since February 2017.
Vinod Sharma, President of the forum said that salary is not released on monthly basis and our teachers are without arrears for more than 2 years.
“On the floor of the state assembly, Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu said that salary of SSA teachers will be streamlined after April 2017 and the statement was endorsed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. They have failed to fulfill their promises,” he said.
Khursheed Ahmed, a teacher from south Kashmir’s Anantnag district said that ReTs were not able to fulfill the basic needs of their families. “We are not able to fulfill the little demands of our children and this has hampered our family life,” he said.
The ReTs threatened to stage state-wide protests if the release of SSA salary was not streamlined by the commencement of Eid-ul-fitr.
“Around 70 percent schools in rural areas are dependent on ReT teachers. We will go for state wide lock down of schools and government will be responsible for the consequences,” the teachers said.
Teachers marched towards the directorate of school education. They later submitted a memorandum to the director education highlighting their demands.
Representatives of the Forum said that there will be complete lockdown in the schools on Friday. “The next move will be decided after getting a response from education minister Altaf Bukhari,” the ReTs said.

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